Tunnelling or mining machine canopy with ventilation ducts

ABSTRACT

A CANOPY FOR A TUNNELING OR MINING MACHINE COMPRISES A PLURALITY OF DUCTS OR PIPES EXTENDING LONGITUDINALLY OF THE CANOPY AND ADAPTED TO TRANSPORT DUST LADED AIR FROM THE REGION IN ADVANCE OF THE MACHINE TO THE REAR OF THE MACHINE WHERE THE AIR PASSES INTO M EANS FOR FURTHER TRANSPORT AND/OR DUST COLLECTION, WITH MEANS TO DRAW THE DUST LADEN AIR ALONG THE DUCTS OR PIPES.

mq. 26, 1971 A. w. HQWARTH TUNNELLING oR MINING MACHINE cNNoPY NIIN VENTILATION Ducws Filed Feb. 7, 1969 3 Sheets-Sheet i.

Jan. 26, l1971 A. w. HowARTH TUNNELLING OR MINING MACHINE CANOPY WITH VENTILATION` DUCTS Filed Feb. 7,71969 y s sheets-sheet a /Nl/ENTOP 26, 197B A, w HOWARTH B TUNNELLING OR MINING MACHINE CANOPY WITH VENTILATION DUGTS Filed Feb. 7, 1969 3 Sheets-Sheet Y vl' ,d/NVENy-OQ United States Patent O U.S. Cl. 299-33 3 Claims ABSTRACT F THE DISCLOSURE A canopy for a tunnelling or mining machine comprises a plurality of ducts or pipes extending longitudinally of the canopy and adapted to transport dust laden air from the region in advance of the machine to the rear of the machine where the air passes into means for further transport and/or dust collection, with means to draw the dust laden air along the ducts or pipes.

This invention relates to tunnelling or mining machines and in particular to shields or roof supports for association with such machines.

Machines have been proposed which have associated with them, either actually on the machine frame or on a separate frame, a roof support and/or shield and/or canopy device (such devices hereinafter being referred to as canopies) to act on the green roof just cut before any permanent supports can be erected, which is usually not until after the machine has advanced still further so as not to interfere with such erection. Such canopies advantageously obviate interruption of cutting in order to erect roof supports. One known machine with these characteristics have arcuate members serving as a canopy to protect the operators as well as to stabilize the machine during cutting.

One of the problems associated with tunnelling or mining is ventilation and in particular the minimising of the effect of dust product by the cutting means of the machine.

It is ,an object of the present invention to provide improved means for minimising the effect of dust and dust laden air.

According to the present invention, a canopy for a tunnelling or mining machine comprises a plurality of ducts or pipes extending longitudinally of the canopy and adapted to transport dust laden air from the region in advance of the machine to the rear of the machine. Preferably the air passes into means for further transport and/ or dust collection, with means to draw the dust laden air along the ducts or pipes.

With the ducting associated with the canopy rather than with the machine proper, valuable space remains around the machine for access of the operators and in addition there is no restriction of vision to the front of the machine, e.g., for checking the cutting head and cut mineral removal operations.

The canopy may be provided with any number of ducts, the number depending on several factors such as the particular rock through which the machine is cutting and/or the cross-sectional areas of the ducts and/or the rate of air extraction through the ducts. Thus, two ducts may be ice associated with the central portion of the Canopy, With one duct associated with each side member which are pivotally attached at each side of the central portion.

The association of the ducts with the canopy may take the form kof rectangular section ducts formed integrally with the canopy and passing through transverse girderwork of the canopy, but inside the outer periphery of the canopy, or alternatively separate ducts may be secured by any convenient means to the inner periphery of the canopy.

The ends of the ducts emerging at the rear of the machine may be of circular section for convenient connection to ventilation pipes which serve as the means of further transport of the dust laden air. In each ventilation pipe may be incorporated a blower to serve as the means to draw dust laden air along the ducts. Alternatively a number or all the ventilation pipes may enter a manifold to be served by a single blower.

The ventilation pipes are preferably exible to accommodate the advancing machine.

The invention will now be described, in greater detail, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a canopy incorporating two ventilation ducts according to the invention;

FIG. 2 is an underneath plan View of an alternative construction of the canopy incorporating two ventilation ducts;

FIG. 3 is a view in the direction of arrow A of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a view in the direction of arrow B of FIG. 2 showing the canopy installed in a tunnel; and

FIG. 5 is a perspective View similar to FIG. 1 but showing a canopy incorporating four ventilation ducts.

In FIG. 1 of the drawings, the canopy has a front end 1 and a rear end 2. A central portion 3 carries pivots 4 for two side members 5.

A ventilation duct 6 extends from the front end 1 of each side member 5 and each is of rectangular section up to their rear ends 7 which emerge from the rear end 2 of the canopy, Where they alter to circular section. To each end 7 is connected a ventilation pipe 8 (one only being illustrated), the pipe incorporating a conventional blower or fan indicated diagrammatically at 9, the ventilation pipe continuing at 10 beyond the blower to collection or separation means for the dust laden air.

The embodiment shown in FIGS. 2 and 4 again includes a central portion 3 and side members 5, but the latter are pivoted to the central portion 3 through intermediate members 11 pivoted at 12 to extension members 13 attached =by pins 14, 15 to the central portion 3. At least one substantially vertically arranged ram (not shown) is adapted to act on the central portion 3 from the machine frame 20 with which the canopy is associated in use, to urge the central portion against the roof of the tunnel being driven.

Similarly, rams 16 pivoted to the side members at 17 and pivoted at 18 to arms 19 extending outwardly from the machine frame 20 urge the side members 5 against the walls of the tunnel being driven.

As with the embodiment of FIG. 1, a ventilation duct 6, of rectangular section as can be seen in FIG. 4, extends along each side portion 5 to emerge, at the rear end 2 of the canopy as circular section rear ends 7, as can be seen in FIG. 3.

In the embodiment shown in FIG. 5 like reference numerals have been used for like components of other gures. The difference of the FIG. 5 construction over the FIG. 1 construction is to be seen in the addition of a pair of spaced ventilation ducts 6A in the central portion 3 of the canopy. Again, these ducts are of rectangular section except at their circuar section rear ends 7A which emerge from the rear end 2 of the canopy.

What I claim is:

1. A tunnelling machine having a canopy supported thereon, the canopy having a plurality of ducts extending longitudinally therein, and provided at their forward ends with dust inlet openings located in the immediate vicinity of the machine working area and connected at their rearward ends with means for drawing dust-laden air therethrough.

2. A canopy as claimed in claim 1, wherein said openings at the forward ends of the ducts are rectangular in cross-section.

3. A mining machine as claimed in claim 2, wherein the canopy comprises a central portion and a side portion pivoted at each side thereof, one of said ducts being provided in each of said portions.

l References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 851,411 4/1907 Ferrell 98-50 3,467,436 9/ 1969 Pentith et al. 299-56X FOREIGN PATENTS 2,967,794 9/ 1915 Germany 98-50 10,385 5/ 1897 Great Britain 98-50 15 ERNEST R. PURSER, Primary Examiner U.S. C1. X.R. 61-85; 98-50 

